Soviet R-12U Dvina missile silo close to the lake Plateliai, Lithuania.
The first soviet nuclear medium range liquid propeled missiles launch complex "Dvina" with 4 underground silos was built December 31, 1962 close to the Plateliai lake in the Plokshtine forest. It was armed with R-12U missiles since January 5, 1964. The maximum range of R-12U missiles was 2280 km, the total weigth of the missile - up to 42.2 t, the warhead weight - 1630 kg. The thermonuclear warhead, depending on its revision, was equivalent to 1-1.3 / 2-2.3 megatons of TNT. There were no launchtest performed due to extreme secrecy and danger to the neighboring population. In 1978 m. after CIA has learned location of the base, it was disarmed and abandoned. Currently missile silo can be visited as a Museum of Militarism within the National Park of Samogitia.
Cuppola of a missile silo. It can be carried away on the rails, or just blown off on the last judgement day.
The trapdoor on the top of cuppola. It was used for changing of the thermonuclear warhead.
Entrance to the two stories underground command module in the middle between four missile silos.
Corridor in the command module.
One of the rooms within the comand module. The airtight metal door was taken away as scrapmetal.
A corridor leading to the rocked fuel storage.
Base to a rocket fuel tank. A man who has scraped the aluminium tank for his own profit was intoxicated by rocket fuel vapour and has died within 5 months.
A corridor leading to the missile silo.
A corridor around the top of the silo. A small wooden staircase (made for comfort of tourists) leads to the shaft.
27 m deep missile silo. Missile maintenance doors at two levels are visible.
Maintenance ladder to the lower part of the silo.
View to the top from middle of the silo. The trapdoor for changing the missile warhead is visible.
The lower part of the silo is flooded.
